Instructions for Melody's Travel Journal

Before Melody's visit with you ends, fill out the Travel Log Form, and upload a photo of her visit. You will need the unique code on the back of your Melody to complete this form. Your travel log entry will create a blog post on Melody’s Travel Journal, so be sure you only include information you wish others to view publicly. Use this opportunity to connect with other participants on the blog by adding your twitter handle, or blog/website URL to your travel journal post. You may also want to link to any historical sites Melody visited to help others learn about your area. You can fill out this form more than once.

March 24, 2014

Melody in Salem, Massachusetts

Phoenix kids
The Phoenix School
United States
Salem, Massachusetts
(Melody #027B0114)
We are a one story schoolhouse so she could get around easily. We also have wide doors. Our room is set up kind of like a library because we have books and materials everywhere and tables for working. It is not like a regular classroom with desks. We have grades PK-8th in one big classroom so Melody visited with our whole school of 24 kids. We got a wheelchair from North Shore Medical Center and we got to ride in it with Melody. That allowed us to know how it is if you are someone like Melody. We could feel like we were Melody. We took her to the YMCA where we have yoga, sports, and swimming. She could do laps in the Fitness Center. Mayan met a man in a wheelchair there and he gave her some hints on how to go fast around the track. She could get into the pool in a special chair. She could not get into the gym because the chair lift was no longer there. When walking to the Y and pushing Melody in her wheelchair, we found out it was hard because of the bumps--there was a lot of vibrations. Salem has made sidewalk ramps at each corner. We watched them build the one in front of our school. Most of the time there were curb cuts, but sometimes we could only go on one side of the street. We took her to the park and she experienced what she could do. She could go around the track when we did laps. We thought she might have played basketball in her wheelchair. She got to sit at our lunch tables with us. It was hard to get the wheelchair and her legs under the table, but she could talk with everyone while eating her lunch. She could use our bathrooms. The door was wide enough for her wheelchair -- the teachers' bathroom has bars. Melody also watched us try to build wheelchairs out of different materials. We also make a doll Melody to fit in our wheelchairs once we figured out how to make the wheels turn so that we don't tip out backwards or forwards. It was hard to do, but most of us did it. The loaner wheelchair helped us see how it was constructed.
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